


Two of a Kind

by kuchiki977



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - No Time Travel, F/M, Female Uzumaki Naruto, I cookie cut out like 80 years of the canon timeline, Madara is an understandably pissed Drama Queen, Mentions of Suicide Attempts, Naruto just wants a friend, Young Uzumaki Naruto, ages are vague on purpose, don’t you dare forget it, fem!naruto, he lives in a cell not a house, who better than the other social pariah?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:40:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24809416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuchiki977/pseuds/kuchiki977
Summary: Madara has a mutual, unspoken agreement with the skittish lemmings that populate this monument to foolishness. They avoid him and generally don’t bother him. In return, he allows their illusion of a peaceful village to continue by seldom venturing outside his prison cell.ORWhat if Hashirama dragged Madara back to the village instead of killing him at the Valley of the End?(Russian translation courtesy of Dr. Delirious availablehere.)
Relationships: Uchiha Madara/Uzumaki Naruko, Uchiha Madara/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 83
Kudos: 380
Collections: Fics that made me happy 2021





	1. An Act of Kindness

**Author's Note:**

> Hey~! While I was agonizing over the two drabbles I wrote for Seedlings, this idea (as well as many others) hit me: What if Hashirama dragged Madara back to the village instead of killing him at the Valley of the End? I've already written this one, I just have to edit it as we go along. What does that mean for you? Regular updates!
> 
> Also, don't worry about Seedlings. I'm going to revamp it in the near future.

Madara has a mutual, unspoken agreement with the skittish lemmings that populate this monument to foolishness. They avoid him and generally don’t bother him. In return, he allows their illusion of a peaceful village to continue by seldom venturing outside his prison cell.

Hashirama has always been good at glossing over facts he doesn’t want to acknowledge. He calls the cell a ‘house’ and likes to pretend they’re still the best of friends. Perhaps, he thought Madara’s return for a deathmatch was just an unorthodox homecoming. That had not been Madara’s intention, but Hashirama won. Robbing his former friend of an honorable death, he dragged Madara back to the village to live in shame.

_Just give Konoha a chance._

He already gave it a chance. It took everything from him and cast him out.

_You can make the changes you want to see._

Who is there to listen to him? Even his clansmen want nothing to do with him. Comrades he fought alongside look at him like a relic of a past they want to forget. Their children—foolish babes that know nothing of war—regard him as a caged beast with which they’re forced to share heritage.

_This is your home, too._

Madara doesn’t want to be here. Everyone else would rather him elsewhere.

He is here because Hashirama couldn’t let go of a naïve dream two boys shared. Hashirama wants him to go back to being the boy that hadn’t understood that peace meant sacrifice. For a war to end, someone must lose.

Out of some misplaced pity, Hashirama had allowed him to think of his first loss as an alliance of equals. Following his example, Madara also ignored some uncomfortable truths. Then, a general disregard of his opinion gradually overtook the village. His authority was never questioned outright, but the number of meetings he wasn’t notified of increased dramatically.

The explanation was simple: his beliefs and conduct were a topic of discussion. He built this village and once he served his purpose, he was a problem to be solved. Madara left before they could tell him to leave.

Unfortunately, his second loss has landed him in the exact spot he abandoned to save face. The only difference being that escape is no longer an option. At the very least, his presence is as much of a punishment for the village as his imprisonment within it is for him.

~xXx~

On his way back from the market, Madara hears a ruckus in the abandoned lot just outside the Uchiha district. From the sound of it, some youths are roughhousing. They won’t be for long. Most merriment ends at the sight of him and this time is no different.

One of them spots Madara and freezes. Young Uchiha mask their fear of him with a thin layer of insolence, but he can see raw fear in the boy’s eyes. Not one of his kinsmen, then. How strange. It's rare for outsiders to venture this close to the compound.

The youth decides that whatever fun he was having isn’t worth being in Madara’s presence and flees. The other two follow suit when they notice his approach. Frightened children do not interest him and he pays them no more than a passing glance.

The screeching coming from the trash can the youths left behind catches his attention, though. The can shakes violently as its occupant thrashes. A particularly powerful shove tips the can over. A muffled shriek of rage assaults his ears.

The seals on the lid ensure that whatever is in there won't be getting out on its own. Once freed, the captive would probably show their gratitude with clawing and biting. Madara has no desire to catch something from a mangy animal, but he has a feeling he'll be able to hear its wails from inside his ‘house.’

Heaving an exasperated sigh, Madara puts down his groceries and approaches the trash bin. Wasting no time, he rips the paper seals off before aiming the mouth of the bin away from himself. He removes the lid slowly to avoid startling the creature inside. Seconds pass, but nothing emerges from the bin. He gives the bottom of the container a firm nudge with his foot. Still nothing.

Madara huffs in annoyance before tossing the lid aside. If it wants to stay in there, that's its business. He collects his groceries and continues on his way. Unknown to him, a pair of hands cautiously reach out of the bin. A whiskered face follows soon after.


	2. Discoveries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you try hard and believe in yourself, every stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet, right? Right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kind reviews! I hope the story lives up to your expectations! 
> 
> For those unaware, a kotatsu is a heated table with a blanket around it.

Most people openly stare at her. Some with disgust, some with anger, but most with fear. Old or young, male or female, ninja or civilian—it doesn’t matter. Somehow, Naruto wronged the entire village.

She can’t remember what she did. If someone would just tell her, she would apologize.

The only ones that don’t stare are the pretty people with dark hair and dark eyes. Naruto sees the other villagers whisper about them, too. Unfortunately, they don’t want to talk to her either. They avoid her at all costs. Well, most of them do. It's a pleasant surprise when one of them helps her.

~xXx~

Some older boys don’t take her latest prank too well and decide she needs a ‘punishment.’ Naruto gets a few hits in, but they quickly overwhelm her. She doesn’t make it easy for them to stuff her in the trash can, but eventually, they shut her inside it. No matter how hard she pushes on the lid, she can’t get it open.

Frustrated and afraid, she shrieks as loudly as she can. Someone would come to help her, right? They wouldn’t know it was her until they let her out.

For the first time, someone answers Naruto's pleas. She goes silent at the sound of muffled tearing. Light pours in as the lid is slowly lifted away. She can’t believe it. She had assumed she would be trapped for at least a few hours, maybe a day or two if she was particularly unlucky.

As a test, she reaches her hands out. Emboldened when the lid doesn’t slam down on them, she peeks her face out. Her attackers are nowhere to be seen.

Seizing the opportunity, Naruto crawls the rest of the way out. She surveys her surroundings and sees someone with long, spiky black hair disappear through a gate. Her savior!

Before thinking too much about it, she races after them. Luckily, no one is around to see her pass through the gate and tail the figure at a distance. Naruto follows them past most of the buildings and around several street corners until they duck into a sizable, traditional house.

Naruto stops halfway to the door when she realizes that she doesn’t know what to say. She wants to say "thank you," but what else? This is a chance to make a friend and she doesn’t want to screw it up.

She doesn’t know much about conveying gratitude, but the magazine she peeks at before the clerk shooes her away says that presents are usually a safe bet—food especially. Fancy cakes are expensive and she can’t cook. Thus, she gives her new friend what she would have wanted: cup ramen.

Most people aren’t happy to see Naruto, so she resists the urge to deliver it in person. If she gives him enough presents, maybe he won’t mind who they're from once he finds out?

~xXx~

The sight of a cheap ramen container on his doorstep is steadily becoming familiar. The prankster is certainly persistent. Every time Madara slides open the front door, a new flavor of cup ramen greets him. Throwing it away or ignoring it doesn’t discourage them.

He put a stop to presents years ago when he told the rest of the clan to cut the fake pleasantries. Much like the 'welcome back' presents he received at the beginning of his life sentence, this can only be an insult. Madara has yet to catch the culprit, but he assumes it's a young Uchiha with a death wish.

~xXx~

It's unfortunate that her friend doesn’t seem to like ramen. It'll be a tough hurdle to overcome in their friendship, but Naruto will look past it. Friends accept each other’s differences, after all. Besides, she can always talk some sense into him later.

Her friend rarely leaves his house, so she hasn’t been able to figure out what he would want as a present. All her observations have revealed about him are that he frowns a lot and doesn’t talk much. Naruto learns a bit about the place he lives in, though. A private district for the pretty people, the Uchiha clan. The symbol on the buildings, inner walls, and their backs must be their clan crest.

Naruto is jealous that her friend lives in a neighborhood surrounded by extended family, but he doesn’t seem too happy about it. No one visits him and he doesn’t talk to anyone when he goes outside. All the other houses make noise or signs of life, but his house is always quiet. He must live alone, too.

~xXx~

Madara has felt eyes on him for a while now. He assumes that Tobirama is getting anxious despite Madara’s uneventful captivity. Which trip to the market bought him offensively obvious surveillance? The spy on the rooftop next door has the stealth skills of a child. He has yet to spot them, but he can sense them.

A confrontation with the spy might alleviate some boredom. Perhaps, they make up for their conspicuous presence with strength. They might even be good enough for a dance or two. Madara's chakra is sealed to a nearly civilian level, but he can still handle an inept spy.

~xXx~

Naruto’s patience has run out. She went through every flavor of ramen she knew of, and he didn’t accept a single one. It's time to try the direct approach. With a miso cup ramen in hand, she knocks on his door and hopes for the best.

~xXx~

Whoever is knocking on his door must be mistaken. Madara doesn’t get visitors. He doesn’t want them. The problem will sort itself out once the trespasser realizes just whose territory they’re in and scurries away.

The sound persists. He ignores it. Then, the banging starts.

The noise must be audible to half the compound. Madara can only imagine the damage to the door. Annoyed, he abandons the living room to put an end to the disturbance and the fool making it. The sight that greets him when he throws open the door confounds him. A tiny ragamuffin with a determined look in her eye meets his gaze.

~xXx~

At last, Naruto meets her first friend. Unexpectedly, the first word that comes to mind is _scary._ His frown is more aggressive up close, and he looks like he doesn’t get enough sleep. He seems angry, so she decides now is not the time to suggest he brush his hair more.

A frightening one-eyed glare almost has her taking a step back. _No_. This might be her only chance. Steeling her spine, Naruto thrusts her gift toward him. She finally thanks him, “Thank you for helping me. This is for you.”

Utterly caught off guard, he simply asks, “What are you talking about?”

His furious expression melts into a confused one. Relieved, Naruto gladly elaborates, “A few weeks ago, you let me out of a trash can I was stuck in, ya know? I’ve been trying to thank you ever since, but I guess you don't like ramen." Some disappointment leaks into her voice, but she quickly moves on. Naruto doesn't want him to think it's a dealbreaker. "That’s ok, though! We can still be friends—”

A devastating realization dawns upon Madara. The ramen on his doorstep, the feeling of being watched—they were her doing. It had been foolish to think Tobirama would bother to send such an incompetent spy (or anyone at all) after a prisoner. Furthermore, the next generation of Uchiha only acknowledge him when left no other choice. Childish pranks are beneath them.

Madara thought he hit rock bottom long ago, but he still has farther to go if a child is pitying him and offering him friendship. The shame burns. "Go home," he growls and slams the door shut. 

Quite familiar with having a door shut in her face by now, Naruto notices that this time is different. He wasn't angry _at_ her. He didn’t even listen to what she was saying. More importantly, he didn’t tell her to leave him alone nor did he refuse to be friends. With a skip in her step, she heads back to her apartment.

~xXx~

Madara thought he had seen the last of the child, but he clearly underestimated her tenacity. Every day, she bangs on his door until he emerges. Madara tries to scare her off, but she cordially greets him and tries to shove cheap ramen in his hands. He shuts the door in her face every time, but it doesn’t put a dent in her enthusiasm.

On a particularly cold day, he wrenches the door open as usual. Her greeting is interspersed with teeth chattering. The ramen container pressed into his abdomen trembles with each of her shivers. There’s a sheet of snow on the ground and the fool isn’t wearing a jacket. 

He could just close the door. No need to change their routine. It would only encourage her.

Madara heaves a sigh and steps aside in the doorway. Confused, she stares at him for a solid minute. He hisses, “If you’re expecting a warm welcome, you’ve come to the wrong place.”

The girl beams at him before rushing through the doorway. She shucks off her sandals and brazenly situates herself beneath the kotatsu in the living room. The ramen container is set at his spot at the table and hopeful eyes are directed at him. Madara sighs again and retrieves the kettle from the kitchen.

Eyes burn holes into the side of his skull throughout "meal" preparation, but she surprisingly stays quiet. It's unclear whether she’s shaking from the cold or excitement. Just when he thinks she can’t handle the silence anymore, her stomach growls like a starved beast.

She holds up a hand to stop him from sliding the ramen cup toward her. “No, that’s for you, ya know,” she refuses.

Intimately familiar with her stubborn streak by now, Madara doesn’t push the matter. However, he has no desire to listen to her stomach grumble while he eats in front of her. He offers an alternative, “There’s some inarizushi in the kitchen. Eat it.”

Madara snorts as the girl scrambles out from under the kotatsu and toward the kitchen like her life depends on it. After some stumbling and knocking into things, she successfully retrieves the inarizushi.

The girl settles underneath the blanket once more and digs in. Her table manners are awful and she devours her food like it’s going to run away from her, but he doesn’t mind as much as he thought he would. The ramen is much less appetizing, but he slurps up a few noodles to appease her.

Madara knows nothing about raising children, but he assumes a large part of parenting is supervision. The girl doesn’t seem to have any. He asks the question that has been bothering him for a while now, “Where are your parents?”

She takes a moment to swallow a mouthful of rice. Eventually, she answers, “I don’t know.”

Her tone is unusually somber. Madara doubts that she's lying. It would explain how no one had stopped a young girl from making frequent, lengthy visits to an infamous warlord. The instructors at the academy are probably the only supervision she has. Left to her own devices after school, she has ample time to bother him. A bout of pity makes him ask, “Name?”

Her introduction adds another piece to the puzzle. She proudly exclaims, “I’m Uzumaki Naruto, ya know!”

Madara pauses. After defecting from Konoha, he heard about the destruction of Uzushiogakure, and ostensibly, the Uzumaki clan. Mito is a Senju by marriage, so the only survivor is the annoyance sitting at his table.

Somehow, Naruto escaped. The lack of a resemblance to her clansmen probably spared her, but her heritage must have damned her socially. Being a refugee and an orphan is alienating enough, but proudly claiming the name of a clan destroyed because of the threat it posed…The scared sheep of Konoha must shun her. Starved for affection, she latched onto the first person to show her even unwitting kindness.

Madara can barely contain his excitement. With a bit of training and influence, Naruto would make a very promising subordinate. How kind of the Senju to hand him the ultimate instrument of their destruction. Struggling to remain calm, he nods and replies, “Uchiha Madara.”

Naruto looks positively thrilled that he has taken an interest in her. The future looks as bright as her smile. His mouth curves upward in kind.


	3. Missed Opportunities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madara firmly believes her to be a worthy investment of his time, but an undignified guffaw escapes from him when the girl declares him her rival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait! I got distracted by Red Dead Redemption 2 for like a week, but here I am! Hoo boy is editing this a challenge. I usually end up adding more rather than refining it. Hopefully, I got the flow I was shootin for.
> 
> Thank you for the lovely reviews! They give me the motivation to keep editing and posting.

Naruto essentially moves into his cell. When she’s not at school or sleeping in her bed, she’s always within earshot. Often, much closer.

The first time Naruto sidles up beside him, she's stiff like she expects a negative reaction. Madara considers shooing her away, but he reasons it would be to his advantage if she's comfortable around him. After relaxing the muscles that had tightened on contact, he returns to his reading. Once Naruto is sure he'll allow it, she sags against him. After that, she initiates physical contact whenever the mood strikes. Tugging on his sleeve, leaning against him, hugging him—she does it all. Naruto serves as an extra source of precious heat during the winter months, but she refuses to see reason when spring transitions to summer. A fierce battle of wills breaks out every time she tries to climb into his lap in the sweltering heat. 

While Naruto is willful to a fault, Madara manages to add some variety to her diet. Eating exclusively cup ramen is bound to make her sick. When she finally does fall ill, without a doubt, she will make it his problem, too. As a preemptive measure, he makes sure that she ingests proper meals. Madara isn’t particularly skilled at cooking, but she inhales his food with gusto. Vegetables are initially a struggle, but Naruto quickly changes her tune with a few strategic words: _Oh, you’re fine with that height for the rest of your life? What a shame._

His advice receives the grateful reception it deserves on the training grounds. It’s immediately obvious that Naruto is in the bottom tier of her class ranking. Her taijutsu is sloppy and her ninjutsu leaves much to be desired. She refuses to attempt a genjutsu on Madara, and he allows her to save at least that much face. Frustration at the difference in skill between her and her peers feeds Naruto's desire to improve, so Madara refrains from mentioning that the gap is negligible. A lack of personalized instruction and hidden clan jutsu have put her at a distinct disadvantage, but that chakra and stamina guarantee it's only a matter of time until she utterly eclipses her classmates.

In the meantime, Naruto relies on speed, cunning, and persistence. Simply put, her fighting style reflects her personality. Thus, training with Naruto is always interesting, if not always productive. Madara thoroughly enjoys tossing her about the training grounds like a ragdoll while he monitors her progress. A genin wouldn’t be much of a challenge for him, even in this state, so quite a bit of that seemingly boundless energy is spent on fruitless attempts to land a hit on him. Typical of Naruto, numerous failures only feed her determination to succeed.

Their first couple of training sessions mostly consist of Madara fending off attacks and ambushes one might expect from an angry cat. After some corrections, she incorporates simple strategies and transitions from instinctual reactions to somewhat calculated attacks. Naruto even manages to catch him by surprise with a well-timed uppercut that nearly connects with his chin. Naturally, Madara dodges and launches her across the open field, but he's quite pleased with the improvement. She must notice because she directs a satisfied grin at him as she dusts herself off.

Madara firmly believes Naruto to be a worthy investment of his time, but an undignified guffaw escapes from him when she declares him her rival. Her pout and indignant foot stomp have him wheezing. He lets her down with a gentle tone he hasn’t used since Izuna died, “You’re a bit too young to be my rival. Find someone so detestable that you can’t bear to lose to them.” 

Naruto takes his advice and sets her eyes on a young Uchiha in her class. He almost feels sorry for Sasuke, but the competition will do him some good. Based on Naruto’s many complaints, Sasuke is getting arrogant as the big fish in the academy’s small pond. The boy is duty-bound to embody the prestige of the Uchiha; he can’t afford to become complacent.

~xXx~

Naruto is staring at him. Madara pretends not to notice. She knows better than to interrupt his reading.

Minutes pass. Her pointed gaze doesn’t swivel from him once. For Naruto to stay still so long, she must desperately want something. The distraction makes it difficult to read the newspaper, but he continues to ignore her out of spite. After ten minutes of re-reading the same paragraph, Madara finally snaps. He hisses, “Why don’t you take a picture? It’ll last longer.”

Naruto immediately perks up. “Can I?!” Without staying to hear his reply, she races out of the living room and out of the house. Within minutes, she’s back with a brand-new camera. Madara wonders why Naruto even bothered to buy one as she fiddles with the tripod. Once satisfied with the arrangement, she darts behind him and rests her chin on his shoulder. She holds up two fingers on each hand and holds the position.

The camera flashes twice and spits out two glossy papers. Naruto snatches them up for inspection. After a nod and a pleased hum, she shows them to him. She asks, “Which one do you want?”

Madara looks disgruntled and confused in both. He answers, “Neither.”

“You don’t want one? These are the first pictures we’ve ever taken, ya know,” she whines. Madara just wants to read the article in peace, but Naruto seems ready to argue with him about it. He acquiesces. Pinching the photo between his thumb and forefinger like a used tissue, he selects the one that her smile looks less blurry in. She rewards his compliance with the genuine article and he huffs. Madara returns to his reading, but the thought that she plans on taking more pictures together refuses to leave him be.

~xXx~

Eventually, Naruto graduates from the academy and joins a three-man cell. Regularly cooperating with Sasuke is “a fate worse than death,” but she has some colorful things to say about her jōnin teacher, as well. According to her, the only upside to the team is that she'll finally get to be good friends with “Sakura-chan.”

Naruto only has positive things to say of her fellow kunoichi, but he can read between the lines. Sakura has very little interest in her, even for friendship. However, Naruto is convinced they’ll be the best of friends and showers Sakura with affection at every opportunity.

Madara feels partially responsible for giving Naruto the idea that anyone will be her friend if she wears them down enough. Unfortunately, her head is as thick as her skin and she won’t hear of it when he tries to explain otherwise.

Well, a disarming personality can be an advantage. It certainly serves Hashirama well.

Despite Sakura’s reluctance to concede, Naruto makes quite a bit of progress with Sasuke. She recounts their first mission in excruciating detail and Madara is honestly surprised by how much Sasuke has changed in so little time. Of course, Naruto hasn’t noticed. No, she focuses on how she made a friend in the Land of Waves and the fact that a bridge is named after her.

~xXx~

Mere weeks after her first mission, Naruto tells him that she’s participating in the chūnin exams. Studying has never been her strong suit, so he's not surprised to hear that she didn't answer a single question on the written exam. Inadvertently encouraging the competition and ramping up the difficulty of the next stage of the exam sounds like typical Naruto, too.

The Forest of Death gives Naruto's team quite a bit of trouble, but they manage to clear the second stage. Her victory against the Inuzuka boy is...quite a departure from the prior ingenuity against an S-rank criminal, but Madara withholds his criticism. It amazes him how she shamelessly meets his eye during a recap of the fight, though.

Madara decides to spectate the third round. Naruto's match against a Hyūga boy should be quick. She might have some trouble with him, but he doubts she'll lose. Sasuke's match against Gaara is supposedly the main attraction, but it's nothing more than a precursor to the real main event. Assuming Sasuke doesn't bring shame to the Uchiha name, he'll be facing Naruto in his next match. _That_ is the fight Madara wants to see; the allure of a vicarious rematch with Hashirama that Madara wins either way. The might of the Uchiha triumphs over a sister clan to the Senju or his protégé overcomes extremely unfavorable odds.

His palpable excitement frightens the villagers. They give him a wide berth, but Hashirama desperately tries to make eye-contact. Madara doesn't acknowledge him. He pointedly ignores the VIP box, but Hashirama is not above making a spectacle of himself, even as Hokage. The box Hashirama shares with the Kazekage is on the opposite side of the stadium, so Madara can't hear the obvious disturbance. Tobirama is not so lucky. He dutifully stands watch behind Hashirama's chair, but his expression betrays his annoyance. The day starts off with such a positive outlook and it's such a shame when it's ruined.

Madara thought an iron will and unpredictability were Naruto’s strongest weapons. Oh, how wrong he was. The second monstrous chakra bursts from every pore on Naruto’s body, he chokes. So, that's what they did with his summon of choice.

It had been naive to assume that the only reason the villagers don't persecute Mito is because of her status as the first lady of Konoha. If Naruto was just an Uzumaki, she might not be shunned. As a jinchūriki, she was damned from the start.

For a moment, he considers…taking the Kyūbi back. An immediate wave of guilt crashes over Madara at the thought. His own sentimentality disgusts him, but he balks at the idea of sacrificing the person that makes a life of disgrace tolerable. Up until this very moment, Naruto's mere presence dangled the tantalizing possibility that this shameful imprisonment wasn’t permanent. They were supposed to get revenge on the village together, but now...

Madara thinks it through. Even if he did get the Kyūbi, what then? Without his chakra, his weapons, _his Sharingan_ —what could he possibly hope to accomplish? From a purely logical standpoint, the life of an innocent child would be wasted on a fool’s errand. Armed to the teeth, he hadn’t been able to defeat Hashirama. It's laughable to think he could wrangle the beast while fighting Hashirama and all of Konoha.

Embittered, Madara returns to his cell after Naruto defeats the boy who preached about the futility of defying fate. In doing so, he misses Sunagakure’s attack on Konoha. 

Naruto tells him of the invasion while recounting the challenging day she had. Madara scoffs at the thought of another defector having the gall to think they could succeed where he had not, but she tells him something far more interesting: she fought Suna’s jinchūriki to a draw. In the wake of such a feat, seeing her fight a mere boy feels like a missed opportunity. Madara tells her as much and she nearly chokes on her dinner. He ignores the voice in the back of his head that whispers of other _missed opportunities_ and commends her achievements. The compliment feels unnecessary and insincere, but Naruto is over the moon.

Though Naruto inexplicably does not share his opinion, she is well aware of his distaste for Konoha and its denizens. Madara's voluntary appearance at a public event is a special treat. Too caught up in the fact that he saw one of her matches, she doesn't ask why he didn't stay. Naruto basks in a few words of praise for days as guilt gnaws at Madara.


	4. Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madara finally gets the memo when his feelings hit him over the back of the head with a chair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for the reviews!

It feels like divine punishment when Naruto announces that she’s going on a training trip. In her words, she ‘has to keep Sasuke from getting a big head.’

Sasuke initially overwhelmed the Sunagakure jinchūriki in the chūnin exam match, but he didn’t take it well when Naruto saved him afterward. As a result, he is taking his training to new heights and Naruto feels the need to do the same. 

On top of specialized training from Kakashi, Fugaku is starting to teach Sasuke secret clan jutsu. Madara can’t teach an Uzumaki secret Uchiha jutsu, but that doesn’t stop him from being annoyed when Naruto asks someone else to train her. Some fool that knew her parents and never bothered to check how their orphan was faring. The allure of learning her father’s techniques is too great to resist, so she forgives the absentee godfather far too easily for Madara’s taste.

He should be glad someone else is taking her off his hands. Doing his job for him, even. So, why does it feel like Naruto is abandoning him just like everyone else? As if sensing his cynical thoughts, she chimes in, “I gotcha a going-away present, ya know!”

Barely keeping the accusation out of his tone, he asks, “Even though you’re the one who’s leaving?”

“Well, it wouldn’t have made sense to give it to you before,” she replies. Naruto sets a shoddily assembled wooden box on the table. The holes and vague shape of a roof lead him to believe it was intended to be a birdhouse. Half of the “roof” is painted red but the other is undeniably pink. She must have noticed she was running out of red paint and mixed it with the leftover white paint after coating the “walls.” Oh, it even has his name carved into it. Wonderful. Naruto singsongs, “Ta-dah! A mailbox!”

“I don't need a mailbox,” he states frankly. What a foolish thing to waste time on.

Naruto asks, “How're ya gonna get my letters if ya don’t have a mailbox?” 

The time spent writing letters could be used to train. If she trained harder and finished quicker, she could come back sooner. Still, Madara will take what he can get. Grumbling, he accepts her gift and places his going-away present in her hand. 

Naruto’s eyes bug out. She looks between the house key and Madara several times before launching herself at him. Arms lock around his midsection and he pats her back a couple times, but she doesn't let go. He huffs and warns her, “This is a privilege, not a right. Don’t abuse it.”

A cold, wet spot is growing on his shirt. Naruto croaks out, “Thank you!” On a whim, he reciprocates the hug and her grip tightens.

~xXx~

Life is lackluster once Naruto is gone. It takes an uncomfortably long time to get used to being alone again. Madara can’t help but feel bitter that she abruptly barged into his daily life, allowed him to get comfortable, and left just as he readjusted around the intrusion. The gaping wound in her wake refuses to scab over. At the very least, that awful ghost isn’t trying to fill the vacated space. 

Before Madara left the village, a specter in the form of Izuna terrorized him. Other than the empty eye sockets, he looked just as Madara remembered. No matter the time or place, the ghost was always in his periphery, somehow glaring at him. Pleading for forgiveness, scorning it, ignoring it—nothing made it go away. A constant, silent companion that he never wanted.

Of course, no one else saw it. He wasn't fool enough to ask anyone about it; their lack of reaction was telling enough. Madara felt like he was slipping into madness when he began to notice a pattern. The ghost never let him have a moment’s peace, but the menacing aura seemed to abate around his kinsmen. In contrast, being in Hashirama’s company became unbearable. An agonizing pressure flared up behind Madara’s eyes whenever he tried to catch up with his old friend. The message was clear:

_I gave you my eyes to defeat the Senju, not join them. You dare try to forget what they did to our clan? To our family? To_ **_me_** _?_

Regardless of whether the apparition was a manifestation of his grief and remorse or Izuna’s spirit, it followed Madara throughout the early days of Konoha, his defection, and his machinations thereafter. He last saw it before returning for Hashirama’s head. His failure and capture finally appeased or banished it. The only upside at the time.

It has not reappeared since, but a vague feeling of apprehension remains.

~xXx~

As expected, Naruto’s letters detail everything. From the people she meets to the dog feces she accidentally steps in, nothing is left out. She is not a novelist by any means, but she does her best to immerse Madara in her experiences. He is especially pleased that she takes the time to write neatly instead of leaving him to decrypt her usual hasty scrawls.

For someone so tiny, Naruto has a large presence. Even in written form, she makes the house seem less empty. It’s baffling how often Madara catches himself cracking a smile at her shenanigans. 

He never knows what to write in reply to her anecdotes. Simply ignoring them and answering whatever random question she poses doesn’t sit right with him, but by the time he drafts a satisfactory reply, the next letter is waiting for him in the mailbox. The sight of an envelope peeking out of the monstrosity always manages to ease his frustration. Ah, well. With how often her address changes, who knows when she would get his reply anyway.

Madara was already aware that he was more invested in Naruto than was probably wise, but he comes to a startling realization while reading about how she’s struggling to master her father’s jutsu. Naruto’s complaints that Madara would be a better teacher warm him like nothing else and he notices the inconvenient truth: he loves her. It’s unclear just when she graduated from being a pawn to be manipulated, but the damning evidence has been piling up. 

It’s revolting how satisfying her praise and company are. His discontent at her conspicuous absence is just childish. Most embarrassing is that these are not new feelings. Perhaps, this is less of a realization and more of a confrontation of feelings willfully ignored.

Naruto calls Madara her “friend,” but whatever is between them doesn't feel like friendship. Naruto's habits and general demeanor are eerily similar sometimes, but he doesn't regard her the way he used to Hashirama. Besides, the basis of the two relationships differ greatly. He and Hashirama were once equals. Their friendship had not lasted when that fact changed. Naruto began as a means to an end, but they formed a bond so strong that neither distance nor time apart can sever. What did that make her?

Upon consideration, Madara concludes that she is something like a sister to him. All his late brothers are dearly missed and no one could ever replace them, but Naruto somehow managed to carve out a place of her own at his side. She might even be as important to him as Izuna. 

~xXx~

In the beginning, Naruto’s letters come once a week. Sometimes twice if she has a lot to report. As time passes, the time in between letters grows steadily longer. They start to arrive every two weeks, then three, then every month. Before long, months pass in between letters. Eventually, it becomes a rare sight to see anything in his mailbox.

Madara supposes it’s only fitting. A disgraced warlord being kept alive as a pet was only good for staving off the loneliness of a child trapped in a hostile village. What good was he to her now that she escaped? He is forced to remain stagnant while Naruto evolves and outgrows him. 

Outside his cell is much less appealing after that realization. Madara can nearly hear the collective sigh of relief his clansmen breathe when he returns to his old routine. They’re always on edge whenever he comes out to check the mailbox or go to the market. He doubts they’re afraid of him. Perhaps, they’re afraid that he’ll somehow get them all banished from the village? 

Little do they know, Madara doesn’t care enough to even cause a scene. He doesn’t care much about anything anymore. 


	5. The Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto never gives him the proper time to adjust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got some really positive reviews on the last chapter. Hopefully, I wow you again! I was in such a good mood that I added in some extra scenes.
> 
> Thank you for the question, JMariusG. Just in case anyone else is wondering: we're still in the reign of the first Hokage, Hashirama. I apologize for not clarifying sooner. I went back to chapter 3 and rewrote the part where I mentioned it. I'm glad you're interested in this humble AU.
> 
> Also, I'm sending my computer in for repairs tomorrow. They said it could take 5 business days (probably more) to fix, so I probably won't be posting what might be the final chapter until then.

Madara returns home from a rare trip outside to find a stranger waiting for him in the hallway. The light from the living room illuminates her back and not much else. His eyes narrow at the intruder's spread arms. She wiggles her fingers to entice him into her embrace. When he doesn't move from the doorway, she calls, “Welcome home, Madara!” 

The silence stretches as Madara decides what to do with her. Not many were brave enough to break into Uchiha Madara’s house and flaunt their crime in front of the man, himself. He could respect that. Besides, he isn’t feeling particularly murderous. It's her lucky day. He decides to throw her out once the groceries are out of the way.

Madara steps to the side to go around her, but she moves to block his path. He generously gives her another chance and steps in the opposite direction, but she gets in his way again. He begins reconsidering the decision to let her live and she seems to be getting annoyed as well. The woman settles her hands on her hips and invades his personal space. She dares to raise her voice at him, “You don’t recognize me?! I didn't change that much, ya know!”

Her face is still a bit difficult to make out in the darkness, but there's no mistaking that stock phrase. His Naruto is home. After years apart, a rush of emotion hits him. In a moment of weakness, he almost cries.

The distance between their eye-levels has shortened considerably. Blonde locks have grown quite long. Whiskered cheeks have lost most of their baby fat. The little girl he knew has grown into a woman.

The annoyance in her eyes melts into unbridled joy when she sees his eyes widen in shock. Without warning, Naruto leaps at him. He drops the groceries to catch her. Her legs wrap around his waist and her face buries into his neck. Their chests press flush together and Madara is instantly aware of _exactly_ how much she has grown.

At a loss for where to place his hands, he settles for her back. As soon as she allows it, he extricates himself from her hold. Unfortunately, Naruto hasn’t outgrown her tactual habits and spends the rest of the evening as close to him as she can get. She insists that they make dinner together and never allows more than a few feet of distance between them. More than once, she brushes against him.

It’s a relief when they finally sit down to eat with a table in between them. Naruto has always sat adjacent to him, so it’s no surprise when she gets comfortable in her old spot. The knee pressing against his under the table is negligible, but he nearly snaps his chopsticks in half when she releases a content sigh.

Never much of a fan of silence, Naruto prattles as she eats. She never stays on one topic for long, but she seems particularly fascinated with her growth in comparison to him. "Lemme see your hand," she demands.

Madara focuses on the grabby gesture she makes at him. Genuinely curious, he asks, "What for?"

"I wanna see if mine are as big as yours are," she explains as if it were obvious. 

It’s a strange request, but there is little that can dampen his mood right now. This odd atmosphere notwithstanding. He holds up his hand, palm flat. Naruto claps against it with her own and snickers at the high-five she weaseled out of him. She doesn’t pull away, though.

Her hand used to be small enough to fit in his fist. Now, her fingers are nearly as long as his. Her palm isn't as wide, but it probably never will be. Neither of their hands are soft after years of handling weapons, but her skin is warmer. Unlike Madara, her hand is completely free of scars.

They have never talked about the demon fox inside her—he's not even sure when she found out about it—but it would explain her healing factor. Most shinobi have at least a couple disfiguring scars by the time they reach her age, but Naruto is as unblemished as a fresh graduate of the academy. She has walked away from beatings that would kill the average person. Madara doesn't have much of an opinion on the Kyūbi, but he is grateful for that much.

His musings grind to a halt when tapered fingers wedge themselves in between his broader ones. Her thumb curls around the side of his hand to meet the fingers pressing into the skin of his knuckles. Madara is unsure of how to react. Naruto’s grin stretches into a smirk. She uses her grasp on him to hold his hand in place while her index finger on the opposite hand trails his inner wrist. A shiver goes up his spine and he snatches his hand back. She cackles, “Gotcha!”

He growls, “What do you think you’re doing?!”

Naruto just laughs harder. Madara pinches the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger as she falls back on to the tatami, gasping in between chortles. Though her new appearance is jarring, her personality is still very much intact.

~xXx~

Thankfully, the night passes without any more pranks, but she has him at his wits' end by the end of the visit. Madara reaches his limit after Naruto's attempt to climb into his lap necessitates a tactical retreat to the kitchen "for more tea." Luckily, she drinks her refill very quickly and he takes the opportunity to comment on how late it is. Catching up was pleasant, but it's honestly a relief to send her back to her apartment. He needs time to process these changes in their relationship. 

Unfortunately, her recalcitrance knows no bounds and he ends up physically pushing her out the door. Naruto stubbornly digs her heels into the ground as he tries to force her forward with as little contact as possible. Her grip on the doorframe is much stronger than his reluctant grip on her shoulders. Though less effective than applying force to her back directly, he doesn't run the risk of slipping and grabbing more than he bargained for. Of all the times to notice his discomfort, she picks now. “You’ve been acting weird, ya know…” 

Caught off guard, he nearly gives her an opening to dart back inside. By the time her feet pass the threshold, he hasn't come up with a better response than playing dumb. “Weird how?”

Her eyes narrow as she turns to face him. They narrow further when he hastily lets go of her and backs up. Naruto accuses, “You’re avoiding me.”

What happened to her usual lack of awareness? Madara deflects, “What? You've been in my house for hours. How is that avoiding someone?”

His distraction attempt goes ignored. She looks at him searchingly. “Are you mad at me?”

Of course, she would think it was her fault. Madara diverts his eyes and asks, “Why would I be mad?”

“Is it about the letters? Cuz I just found out a couple weeks ago that a lot of them got sent back to me. Well, one of my addresses. Did you—”

He interjects before she can steer the conversation back to dangerous territory, “Why were they sent back?”

Naruto scratches the back of her head and bashfully explains, “Well, I wanted to send you some gifts with my letters, but I guess they went over the size and weight limit.” She petulantly crosses her arms. “Not that they told me when I tried to send it!” 

Madara has a feeling that they tried and she didn’t listen. Finally, some familiar ground. He teases, “What did you try to send me? A crate of oranges?”

“Yeah, and a bunch of other stuff. They could have at least told me they sent my stuff back! The lady that ran the inn we stayed at sometimes got really mad at me cuz she thought that I sent all that stuff to her on purpose, ya know! She even called it ‘junk!’” She finishes her rant with a scowl.

The innkeeper’s judgment was probably spot on. Naruto has a penchant for strange items. Case in point, that ridiculous frog wallet of hers. 

Caught up in her homecoming, Madara completely forgot about her letters. He feels guilty for assuming Naruto would ever forget him. She never stopped sending them, they just didn't make it to him. She isn’t even mad that he never replied. He lets out a fond chortle and says, “You're probably the only one fool enough to try sending a crate of fruit.”

“Hey!” Naruto tries to be mad, but she can’t keep the smile off her face. “Does that mean you forgive me?”

Her hopeful tone is too much. He shakes his head in the negative. “I was never mad in the first place.”

She gives him a knowing look. That is going to take some getting used to. She retorts, “Liar.”

Madara snorts and bids her farewell, “Good night, Naruto.” 

She looks mildly disappointed but quickly recovers. “G’night, Madara! I’ll bring your presents tomorrow!” 

Naruto disappears before he can come up with an excuse for why she can’t come visit again tomorrow. All he can do is resign himself to this new reality.

~xXx~

Madara has mixed feelings. On one hand, it’s gratifying to know that Naruto still feels so comfortable around him despite spending years apart. On the other hand, it’s frustrating how she stubbornly refuses to accept that she can’t cling to Madara anymore. She has matured past an acceptable age for this behavior, but he doesn’t have the heart to confront her on the matter. No matter how he phrases it, she will absolutely take it the wrong way. He tacitly tries to discourage her by keeping a certain amount of distance or objects between them, but Naruto casually crosses it or moves the impediment out of the way. 

As if that wasn’t bad enough, it suddenly bothers him when Naruto mentions her friends. After so much rejection from her peers, she's free to revel in her hard-won recognition and acceptance as much as she likes. The problem is that most of her friends are male. Between a predominantly male profession and Naruto’s disinterest in stereotypically girly things, it’s to be expected. Even so, it aggravates him.

She brings up the Nara, Akimichi, and Inuzuka boys now and then, but she talks about Sasuke the most. The reunited Team 7's teamwork is lacking at first, but Sasuke is surprisingly not to blame. Naruto's replacement, Sai, doesn't have a filter or seems to have confused nicknames and insults. Madara isn't entirely shocked to hear that Sasuke defended Naruto when Sai dared to call her "Fat-ass," but he's not too pleased about it either.

Naruto and Sasuke's rivalry is still going strong despite the time apart. It has a decidedly affable edge to it now, though. When Naruto was younger, her constant tirade about Sasuke had been amusing. His brutal honesty and arrogance had often reduced her speech to frustrated vocalizations. These days, they compliment each other more than they argue. They have even been mistaken for a couple on occasion.

Madara does not care for the change.

He interrupts today’s enthusiastic Sasuke recap with a challenge, “So Sasuke thinks your taijutsu has improved, hm? I’d like to see for myself.”

Naruto immediately switches gears, “You wanna spar?”

Her obvious excitement at the prospect invigorates him. He casually shrugs. “If you’re up to the challenge.”

She smirks. “If you haven’t been stayin in shape, you’re gonna embarrass yourself, ya know.”

“You’re worried about me? How touching.” Madara smirks in return. “Let's see if you’ve learned anything of value while you were on vacation.”

~xXx~

Despite Madara’s limitations, neither ninjutsu nor weapons have ever managed to tip the scale in Naruto’s favor. Her speed and endurance couldn’t compare to his technique and experience.

The same cannot be said of the seasoned warrior that stands before him now. The little girl that violently flailed and hoped to hit him is long gone. Naruto returns every hit she takes and gives him quite a few extra bruises.

The training grounds also take a beating. In the heat of the match, several trees are uprooted, a couple of rock formations are destroyed, and the grand finale creates a sizable crater. 

What even was that? A mass of screaming chakra had been unexpected, but when she _threw_ it at him? Madara could still hear the ear-splitting shriek it made as it whizzed past him and into the ground. The Rasen shuriken is a fearsome jutsu, indeed.

Exhausted, they simultaneously drop their fighting stances. They each have a layer of sweat coating their skin and neither tries to hide their panting. Madara tries not to let it bother him when Naruto recovers faster. Only a bit out of breath, she asks, “So? How’d I do?”

He steadies his breathing before huffing out a reply, “You pass.” 

Naruto snorts, but she’s beaming as they climb out of the ditch. Somehow, their stash of belongings wasn't disturbed during the forceful remodeling. She retrieves two water bottles from her pack and kindly tosses one to him. They settle into a moment of silence as they drink. Unfortunately, this gives Madara time to reflect on his choices.

In hindsight, perhaps it hadn’t been a good idea to spar. Naruto copied Madara when he removed his shirt, and he regrets not making a stronger case for her to keep her jacket on. The fight distracted him before, but she has his full attention now. 

Naruto chugs half the bottle and dumps the rest of it over her head. Without Madara’s consent, his eyes follow a droplet of water as it streaks down her cheek, slows to a crawl at her neck, and slithers beneath the collar of her mesh undershirt. Her attempt to shake herself dry like a dog goes without comment as the adult nature of his gaze unsettles him.

Once again, Madara is forced to confront a truth he has been avoiding: the affection he feels for Naruto is no longer platonic. He sees her as a woman, not a little sister. The horror of the realization barely prevents an inappropriate physiological reaction to the sight she just treated him to. 

Madara turns away from her. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Their dynamic has changed yet again. She's going to give him whiplash one of these days. Breaking through his thoughts, Naruto asks, “Whatcha thinkin ‘bout?”

Her voice comes from far too close a distance to be appropriate. He meets her gaze. Trust, affection and innocent curiosity are reflected in her eyes. He doesn't want that to change. Then and there, Madara decides not to burden her with his feelings. It's his problem and he'll make sure that it doesn’t come between them. He denies, “Nothing in particular.”


	6. Flights of Fancy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madara relives the glory days while he waits for an answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gang, this chapter fought me so hard. I got my computer back days ago, but I wanted to give you quality. I'm still not entirely happy with it, but I didn't want to keep you guys in suspense much longer.

Madara resolves to bury his feelings in the deepest recesses of his heart and remain the pseudo-brother that Naruto expects of him.

For weeks, that resolve is tested to the point of madness. Though he usually manages to keep her out of his lap, quite a few newspapers and scrolls meet a swift end when she nuzzles her face into his neck. Despite frequent complaints that his hair gets in the way, she has no problem embracing him from behind. On the third hour into one such hug, Madara belatedly realizes that she took him into her lap when denied access to his. He's caught between respecting her craftiness and shamefully burying his face in his hands.

The Uchiha are known as the Clan of Love, not the Clan of Restraint. Thus, Madara should be lauded for enduring all the cuddling Naruto deems absolutely necessary. Three agonizing months pass before he reaches his breaking point.

One morning, Madara wakes to Naruto straddling him atop his futon. Their faces are far too close. She graces him with a cheeky grin before waking up half the compound with a shout, “Goooood moooooorning!”

Madara draws as much air as possible into his lungs and raggedly exhales through his nose. This has to be a dream. The obnoxious behavior is quite realistic, but even Naruto would understand the implications of their position. She likes to walk the line between innocence and willful ignorance, but this is just ridiculous.

When Naruto gracelessly plops down on his abdomen, Madara is forced to accept that this is reality. His first coherent thought of the day is that he never should have given her a house key. He voices his second thought, “Get off.”

His command falls on deaf ears. Naruto rests a hand on her chest and feigns a hurt tone. “So cold! Why are you so mean? I love you a lot, ya know! Don’t you love me?” 

She has always been too casual in manner and speech, but it infuriates him to hear her use such words lightly in this situation. Madara flips their positions. His dark hair hangs down around them as he looms over her. Pressing their hips together, Madara gives her undeniable proof that they can’t go back to the way things were. He quietly enunciates, “I do. However, your love and my love are different.”

Naruto shivers. It's unclear whether her reaction is out of disgust, fear, or arousal. Only shock is evident in her expression. Madara considers testing her limits but immediately discards the thought. Most aspects of Naruto's life have been forced upon her and he doesn't want this to be another.

He wants her to accept his love, free of pressure.

To that end, Madara stands and leaves the room. He goes about his morning routine with a forced calm. When he finally returns to put the futon away, Naruto is long gone. 

~xXx~

Naruto doesn’t come back the next day or the day after that. After a week, he assumes that she isn’t coming back this time.

Madara knows Naruto just wants their relationship to stay the same. A part of him wishes that he could have done that for her. The larger, more selfish part of him won’t be content until he has everything she’s willing to give. Her smiles, her company, her warmth—he wants it all. He wants her to want him with the same intensity that he does her. 

Naruto cares about him, but the odds of her returning his feelings are slim. It’s unlikely that she has ever considered him in that light. Admittedly, these sentiments are also a recent development on his part, but Madara is not known for frivolous feelings. Leaving himself vulnerable and taking uncalculated risks are out of character for Madara, but Naruto makes him greedy and reckless. 

He can only hope that the gamble he took irreparably changing their relationship works out in his favor. Games of chance suit Hashirama better. He has luck to spare. Most would say Madara is lucky to be alive.

~xXx~

Two weeks after he last saw Naruto, a knock at the door startles him. A nervous excitement bubbles in his chest when he opens the door, but he should have known that it wasn’t her. Naruto never knocks. In her stead, Hashirama stands on his doorstep. Other than Tobirama, he’s the last person Madara wants or expects to see.

Hashirama tells him that attack on the village during Naruto’s chūnin exams was just a harbinger of the defector’s grandiose plans. Konoha received a declaration of war and an army marches on them as they speak. Hashirama makes him an offer, "I convinced the council that it would be foolish not to include you in our ranks and they agreed to a conditional release of your restrictions. So, will you fight with us? With me?"

Just a few years ago, Madara would have jumped at the opportunity to stab Hashirama in the back. Now, he considers telling him to get off his porch and leave him alone. There is no love lost between Madara and Konoha. It’s tempting to let it burn. A chance to escape may even present itself.

Then again, he would get much farther with some of his chakra back. Furthermore, the thought of battle after a compulsory retirement exhilarates him. Besides, Naruto would appreciate it if the village didn't go up in smoke. Madara relents, "Fine." 

~xXx~

Being a warrior is a core part of Madara’s identity. Deprived of that aspect of himself, he simply went through the motions to survive. Naruto alleviated the monotony of such an existence, but nothing makes him feel more alive than a battlefield. Nothing can compare to the sheer chaos.

The familiar weight of his armor is intoxicating. Blood roars in his ears as he cuts down a seemingly endless supply of enemies. His attacks and reactions are more muscle memory than anything.

Madara only has half of his chakra back and his Sharingan remains sealed, but he makes do. He's limited to mostly taijutsu out of a concern for stamina, but he allows himself the occasional fire ninjutsu for variety. 

Initially, they relegate Madara to a humiliating position in a division meant for support and back-up, but he forces his way to the frontlines. The disgruntled look on Tobirama’s face when they make eye-contact across the battlefield is delicious. Madara briefly basks in nostalgia before a horde of enemy “soldiers” swarm him. 

Madara doesn’t know what to make of the deformed, paper-white humanoids, but he has no qualms mowing them down. They don't pose much of a challenge, but their numbers allow Madara to get creative with how he dispatches them. Thoughts of escaping during the fray cross his mind, but he sets them aside for later.

Naruto’s chakra signature is of greater concern at the moment. Madara monitors it as best he can after he overhears that the Kyūbi was ripped from her. Luckily, she survived, but her chakra signature is alarmingly weak for much too long. Relief washes over him when it flares back to life. 

~xXx~

Madara nearly has a heart-attack when Naruto's chakra signature suddenly winks out of existence. It was too abrupt to signify death, so maybe she was taken somewhere? He curses the limiters on his chakra once again. If it weren’t for them, Madara would be fighting alongside Naruto instead of keeping busy with the reanimated dead.

The humanoid foot soldiers drop to the ground like puppets with their strings cut not too long after her disappearance, so he hopes that means Naruto struck the decisive blow. It seems like an eternity until the last of the Edo Tensei are dealt with and she abruptly reappears on his radar.

With the opposition vanquished, the war officially ends. For Madara, reality sets in. The window of opportunity just slammed shut. Attempting an escape while everyone is unoccupied and still riding on the high of battle won't end well. Heavier restrictions will be placed on him if he's captured alive.

Tobirama catches his eye. Based on the contemptuous look on Tobirama's face, he has guessed Madara’s train of thought. So much as a lean in the wrong direction is all the excuse Tobirama needs. Madara entertains the thought of bolting for a few seconds more out of spite. Izuna would want him to make the attempt, but Naruto would…what would she want?

Once upon a time, Madara planned to abscond with Naruto if the opportunity presented itself. Unfortunately, the opportunity never came and she grew too attached to Konoha. Before his attraction to her sullied their sibling bond, Naruto might have volunteered to drag Madara back to the village. He could easily picture her pleading with the council to grant him clemency a second time. 

But now…would she even want to look at him anymore? What was the point in going back if she didn’t?

A hand claps down on his shoulder plating, hard. Few fools have the gall to approach Madara in an overtly friendly manner and he isn’t surprised to see Hashirama giving him a meaningful look. Madara assumes a verbal warning is forthcoming, but Hashirama blindsides him with a dopey smile and praise. “Great work, Madara! I knew we could count on you! What’s that face for?”

Madara’s face must betray how unimpressed he is with this idiotic jailor. He sighs, “Yes, yes. Don’t worry about it.”

In too much of a good mood for it to sour easily, Hashirama shrugs and slings an arm around Madara's shoulders. Steering them back toward Konoha, he prattles, “When we get back, we should have a drink to celebrate—”

~xXx~

The war was a fun vacation, but the aftermath tests Madara's patience. Suddenly, villagers find him approachable. Shinobi he supposedly fought alongside feel the need to strike up conversations with him at the market. Even the youths wave instead of running in fear at the sight of him.

Madara reminds himself that this is only temporary and the residents of Konoha are known for being two-faced. Soon enough, they’ll remember just who they’re dealing with and it will be back to isolation as usual. Then again, the most unwelcome change of all seems dead set on annoying him to death.

For reasons he has yet to divulge, Obito has taken it upon himself to check up on Madara every few days since the end of the war. Though he’s a few years older than Naruto, their personalities are similar, so Madara allows the harassment to continue. 

Usually, Obito spouts harmless nonsense. Today, he casually taps on the living room table as he plays with fire. “What happened to the person sending you letters?” Madara glares in response, but Obito takes it as a cue to explain further, “I haven't seen you trying to get letters out of that shitty mailbox you have outside in a while. You always looked so excited. It was scary. Warm smiles don’t suit you at all, old man.”

Obito dodges the kunai aimed at his head with an infuriating ease. Madara searches for another weapon as he retorts, “Mind your own business.”

“Hmm, did they come for a visit?”

Madara seems to have wasted the only kunai in the vicinity. How unlike him. “Nosey brat.”

Obito grins. “So, they did come for a visit! What kind of person would make you that happy?”

This conversation has gone on long enough. They both stand. Obito rushes to put the table between them but refuses to shut up. “Ooooh, a _dance_ partner, maybe?” 

They circle the table, changing directions several times, as Obito’s line of questioning continues to grate on Madara. “They must be something special if just a letter made a sourpuss like you smile like an idiot!” 

Madara jumps the table, but his quarry scurries from the room. Leaning back into the doorframe, Obito feigns sadness. “All right, all right! I know when I’m not wanted…”

“I sincerely doubt that.”

He has the gall to ignore Madara. “Anyway, let me know when they come for a visit again. I gotta get a picture of your dopey smile or Rin and Kakashi will never believe it!”

“Never come back,” Madara hisses and lobs a scroll. Obito’s obnoxious laughter grows faint as he runs away and out the door.

~xXx~

In the evening, Madara hears a knock on his front door. At first, he thinks it’s Hashirama coming to have “celebratory” drinks. The excuse has been used five times already, but Madara doesn’t mind the company as much as he thought he would. 

Before the war, his hatred for Hashirama was all-consuming. At the beginning of his sentence, Madara told him that they were beyond reconciliation and that any attempts at contact would be met with violence. After the war, Hashirama spotted an opportunity to wriggle back into Madara’s good graces and bullied the council into letting Madara keep his chakra allotment. Capitalizing on Madara's good mood, he shows up to drink the night away whenever he can. 

Madara is pleasantly surprised to find Naruto on his doorstep. Her choice in clothing piques his interest. He has never seen her wear a skirt in all the time he has known her, and her stiff posture belies her discomfort. He may also contribute to the unease, but Madara wants to see her even if the feeling isn’t mutual. 

Unwilling to break the silence first, he leaves the door ajar and makes his way back to the living room. The door rattles shut and Naruto joins him a few moments later. She halts at the door frame, takes a deep breath, and stubbornly wedges herself next to him at the table. Madara warns her, “Naruto.” 

Uncaring, she hugs Madara’s left arm and rests a cheek on his shoulder. He has already made his intentions clear and he won’t allow her to ignore them. “Let go—”

“I’m gonna become Hokage, ya know. That way, I can return all of your chakra and your Sharingan.” A blush colors her cheeks as she tilts her face towards his. “I love you and I want you to be happy,” she proclaims and presses her lips against his.

The kiss is chaste and sloppy due to the awkward angle, but Madara couldn’t care less. He momentarily pulls away to push the table away from them and turns to face her. Arms spread, he beckons her into his lap. Naruto eagerly complies and settles her arms on his shoulders. He wraps an arm around her waist, threads a hand into her hair, and pulls her back in. She jolts when he slides his tongue along her lips but doesn’t pull away. 

Madara hums in approval when she hesitantly opens her mouth. He slants his mouth over hers and deepens the kiss. Gaining confidence, Naruto follows his lead and starts to reciprocate. Their teeth click a couple of times, but her enthusiasm excites him. 

They part for air. Naruto has always been cute, but she is truly a sight to behold. Her flushed cheeks and tousled hair are arousing, but her adoring smile bewitches him. Noticing his arousal, she grinds down on him experimentally. Madara inhales sharply and grabs her hips. He warns, “Do you even know what you're encouraging?”

“I wore this skirt cuz it'd be easier to take off than my shorts, ya know,” she teases. After pausing thoughtfully, Naruto continues, “The magazine also said we could do it without taking it off—”

There are many things that he wants to say to that, but he decides on advice, “You need to stop reading magazines.”

“You say that, but you looked straight at my skirt like the magazine said you would.”

Madara smirks as he offers, “Would you like to test the extent of the magazine’s accuracy?”

As always, Naruto rises to the challenge. “That’s what I came here for!”


	7. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some shocking discoveries the morning after.
> 
> Trigger Warning: Mention of suicide attempts.

When Madara wakes, he’s alone in the futon. For a horrible moment, he thinks that last night was a dream. The sound of panicked rustling and swearing from elsewhere in the house calms him down. The following eerie silence is concerning, though.

Madara sighs as he throws off the covers. What is Naruto up to now?

~xXx~

The panic attack that woke her up in time to finish the mission report will be for nothing if she can’t find something to write with. How is there not a single pencil in this goddamn house?! It’s due by noon!

A paintbrush in one of the living room drawers gives her hope, but the accompanying ink bottle is dry. No ink bottles or pencils to be found in the spare rooms. Just weapons. A sweep of the kitchen yields nothing of use.

Naruto toys with the idea of using her blood as an ink substitute as she paces in the living room. She slips while pivoting on her heel and flails. Seeking purchase, she attempts to grab the wall but it slides with her. Caught by surprise, Naruto falls on her back.

Curiosity outweighs the dull pain in her head as she rolls into a sitting position. The “wall” easily slides aside to reveal a closet. Within it, nothing but a chest of drawers. The first few drawers have more weapons, but one containing nothing but papers catches her attention. Upon further inspection, Naruto realizes that they’re her letters. Based on the size of the once neat pile, Madara kept every one she ever sent.

Forgetting the search, she reads through a handful of letters. The second-hand embarrassment is cringeworthy, but the nostalgia keeps Naruto reading. After several letters, she finds one with different handwriting. It’s addressed _to_ her. The contents are stilted and quite a few sentences are crossed out, but the legible lines refer to an incident with a cow that she had on her training journey. 

Madara tried to write her back. What’s more, he put a lot of thought into it. He must have agonized over his reply before deeming it unworthy of his perfectionist standards and unfit to send.

Naruto had just been happy to have someone to send letters to. It was like having someone waiting for her at home. But, this suggested Madara had missed her while she was away. To be considerate, Naruto had snuck out of bed to find a pencil. However, she's so elated that tackling him awake with a hug sounds much more appealing than letting him sleep. Luckily for him, the unopened drawer catches her eye.

The remaining drawer only contains two items: a book and a flipped over picture frame. Leafing through the book reveals all of the pictures they’ve taken over the years. Naruto chuckles. No matter the holiday or whose birthday it is, Madara always looks grumpy. She's pleased that his frown grows less pronounced as she nears the end of the album, though. In their most recent photo—taken the night she returned from her training trip—he’s a bit stiff, but he almost looks...content.

Carefully, she sets down the album and picks up the picture frame. Naruto turns it over to reveal the first picture they ever took together. She hadn’t known how to use a camera then, so it’s a bit blurry, but Madara’s disgruntled face is unmistakable. Naruto snorts at the peace-signs bracketing his face and her childish grin peeking out from behind his mane. 

A grin stretches across her face to match.

~xXx~

Taking the time to put away the futon and wash his face was a mistake. It gave Naruto ample time to leave the house in a state of disarray.

As he turns the corner into the living room, Madara releases an exasperated breath and says, “Naruto, you’d best have an explanation for—”

His sentence abruptly ends with a choked gasp. Naruto’s grin takes on a decidedly wicked edge as she exits his formerly hidden closet. Dread overtakes Madara as she purposefully stands a picture frame on the table. She drags out the moment by turning it to face him at an agonizingly slow pace with the tip of her finger. Naruto thoroughly enjoys the horrified expression on Madara’s face and she teases, “Madara~! Look what I found!”

He roars, “Don’t snoop through my things!”

Naruto shrugs and grumbles, “It’s your fault for not havin a pencil, ya know.” Her grin slides back into place, “Anyway, I should’ve expected a shy guy like you to have a secret stash.”

She turned the house upside down for a pencil? While that is unacceptable, much more pressing matters take priority. “Shy?!”

Naruto nods resolutely. “Yep,” she casts a glance back at the closet she discovered before hitting him with an iridescent smile, “You always act grumpy, but you’ve loved me for a really long time, huh?” 

Madara cannot deny that. He may not have always been aware or accepting of his affection for her, but Naruto has always been important to him in one way or another. Besides, she’s obviously pleased and denying it would just prove her point that he’s ‘shy.’

Despite the gross slander of his character, Naruto correctly interprets his silence as confirmation. Thankfully, she drops the teasing tone, “I’ve loved you for a long time, too!”

He may never get tired of hearing her say that. However, that brings to mind a concern of his. “What took you so long, then?”

“Hm?”

“‘Hesitation’ is not in your vocabulary. I expected an answer immediately or at least the same day. Weeks passed,” he explains.

Naruto breaks eye-contact and scratches at her cheek. Madara gets the distinct impression that she would be fiddling with the zipper of her jacket if she could. In her haste, she put on one of his shirts, but the scandalous front slit is forgotten when she answers. “W-well, I was doin research.”

Doubtfully, he asks, “Research?”

She takes offense to his skepticism and launches into a rant, “Yeah! I wanted to make sure I did it right, so I asked around! Sakura-chan’s advice wasn’t very helpful, but she gave me the magazine. Sai mostly just described what we did last night. Captain Yamato always avoided my questions. Sasuke suggested exactly what I wanted to do from the beginning—the direct approach—but he’s never liked anyone, so I couldn’t trust that. Kakashi-sensei just gave me one of his books. ‘All the answers you could ever need are in this book,’ he said.

“It took me two weeks to read it because it was boring and I had to look up a lot of words, ya know! When I finally finished it, the war happened. Then, we had an urgent mission right after. The second we got back, I changed and came here. I couldn’t stand the wait anymore,” Naruto finishes with a huff.

Well, that answers quite a few questions and raises more than a few concerns. It also explains why she’s in such a rush to find a pencil. The Mission Report Office doesn’t appreciate missed deadlines. More importantly, Naruto reciprocates his feelings in equal measure if she was willing to spend two weeks studying a (questionable) manual for him. 

Madara cracks a genuine smile and her stance relaxes somewhat. He apologizes, “Well then, I’m sorry for doubting you.”

Still a bit miffed, Naruto retorts, “Ya should be.”

“There’s a pencil in my room. Second drawer from the window,” he informs while making himself comfortable at the table. Forgetting her anger, Naruto rushes out the room. Within seconds, she’s back with the pencil and the blank mission report form. They sit in companionable silence as she hurriedly scratches out responses. 

~xXx~

A relieved sigh interrupts the article Madara was reading to kill time. He lowers the newspaper to the table as Naruto suggests, “We should go to Ichiraku’s for lunch.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, the book and the magazine said first dates are important.”

“About those reading materials...” Madara peters off as he senses a presence at the front door.

After three knocks, a voice calls out, “Hey, old man! I brought you some—”

Naruto vaults over the table and throws open the door. “Obito!”

The bag of dango in Obito’s hand comes very close to falling to the ground when Naruto launches herself at him, but he manages to catch both. “Naruto?! What are you doing here? And wearing those clothes...”

He puts her down and takes a step back to make sure that he isn’t imagining things. No, she really is just wearing the top half of traditional Uchiha garb. It’s too big on her, but the slit in the front is indecent. Obito hastily ushers her back through the door.

A presence from inside the house draws Obito’s attention. Madara’s smirk is downright sinister as he leans against the doorway to the living room. “You said you wanted to meet my _dance_ partner.”

Obito gapes as Naruto seizes the bag of dango from his hand. Madara waves a hand in silent refusal when she holds the bag out to him, so she helps herself. He mocks Obito, “Careful now. You’ll catch some flies in that slack jaw of yours.”

Coming back to himself, Obito does his best to string a sentence together, “You...her...”

Enjoying himself, Madara encourages, "Yes?"

Obito's voice shakes. "...together?"

The affirmative nod sets Obito off. "She's way too young for you!"

Madara snorts, “She’s of marriageable age.”

Obito fires back, “Marriageable?! How long have you two—”

“We’re goin on our first date today,” Naruto joyfully supplies in between bites of dango.

Instead of a ‘You don’t get to decide that’ or some other rude response, Madara petulantly says, “I never agreed to that.”

Naruto turns to look him in the eye. “You don’t want to?”

Never in a million years did Obito think that Naruto’s doe-eyes would work on Uchiha Madara, but evidence suggests otherwise when he reluctantly huffs, “I’ll think about it.”

Naturally, that response doesn’t satisfy Naruto. “You don’t want to be seen with me?”

Madara immediately corrects, “Of course, that’s not it. Those clods should consider themselves lucky to be in our presence.”

Obito essentially fades into the background while Naruto twists Madara around her finger, but that suits him just fine. He needs time to cope with all of these shocking revelations. Not only does Madara actually have a _dance_ partner, but it’s Naruto. Furthermore, sweet, precious Naruto has sway over the shadow of Konoha. 

The villagers only recently came around to the idea that Madara isn’t so bad to have around if he’s protecting them. Obito doubts they would be pleased to know that Madara was allowed to keep half of his chakra. The shinobi are divided on whether that’s a good idea, but the Hokage vouched for him, so all they can do is wait for the other shoe to drop. 

Obito is brought out of his thoughts when Naruto tries to move past him. He grabs ahold of her shoulders to stop her, but immediately retracts his hands when Madara levels a frightening glare at him. Thankfully, Naruto diffuses the tension with a whine, “I’ll be really quick! No one will even see me if I run back to my apartment, ya know!”

Madara and Obito chorus, “NO.”

Shaking off the unsettling synchronization with Madara, Obito asks, “Why don’t you change first?”

“I need to go to my apartment cuz I need clean clothes, ya know. I forgot to bring extra ones when I came over last night and the clothes I was wearin are...dirty,” she explains.

Completely unprepared for that explanation, Obito nearly succumbs to the shock a second time. However, the horror of Naruto running across Konoha half-naked gives him the strength to hang on. What if she jumped between rooftops? 

Obito takes a deep breath before looking Naruto in the eye. He pleads, “I’ll go and get them for you, so please just go back inside.”

Luckily, Naruto acquiesces, “Really? Thanks," she tacks on as an afterthought, "I need underwear, though."

Obito flinches. Foolishly, he glances at Madara. If not for the seal on Madara's Sharingan, Obito would probably be dead by now. It would be in his best interest to tread carefully. Thinking quickly, Obito keeps his eyes on Madara as he offers, “Or I’ll just ask Rin to get them.”

The intensity of Madara’s glare lessens and Obito prays that Rin isn’t busy right now.

~xXx~

Ichiraku Ramen is located in the center of town, so their "date" serves as an announcement of their relationship to the public. Madara would have preferred to keep the information limited to Obito until they progressed past the point anyone could try to stop them, but Naruto insists.

They must make quite the sight—everything about Naruto is dazzling while Madara effortlessly blends in with the shadows. Furthermore, she unabashedly grips his hand as she excitedly tugs him through the streets of Konoha. 

Once they pass the market, the entire street goes silent. Madara hasn't ventured this far into the village since before his defection. No one knows how to handle the change. He sardonically wonders where all of their previous goodwill went as countless villagers stop to stare and several shinobi look tempted to intervene.

Most would shy away from the unspoken censure, but Naruto refuses to back down. She squares her shoulders, stubbornly tightens her grip around his hand, and marches forward. Gripping her hand in turn, Madara matches her pace. Together, they walk.

Out of fear, respect, or shock, the crowd parts for them. Stares burn holes into his head, but he pays them no mind. Like Naruto, his determined gaze never strays from the path ahead.

The street seems exponentially longer when under scrutiny, but it feels like an accomplishment when they pass through the threshold of Ichiraku Ramen. The owner warmly greets, "Welcome back, Naruto! Oh...you must be the Madara character I've heard so much about," with a sweeping hand gesture he says, "It's great to finally meet you! Please, take a seat."

~xXx~

Tobirama shuts the door behind him as he walks into the Hokage’s office. “Anija.”

Hashirama hums and momentarily glances up at him from the pile of paperwork on his desk. Tobirama cuts to the chase, “Something needs to be done about Madara.”

Sighing, Hashirama abandons the paperwork to have this argument once more. Leaning back in his chair, he lazily asks, “What did he do now?”

Tobirama’s eyes narrow as he scolds, “Take this seriously. He’s publicly flaunting his influence over the jinchūriki.”

“You mean ‘Naruto,’” Hashirama corrects.

Tobirama waves away the inconsequential fact. “You let them be for too long. We should have just killed him the second she took an interest in him.”

That shouldn’t be a suggestion Hashirama has heard many times before, but it is. He argues, “I admit that it was a gamble to let them grow close, but it worked out in my favor. Mutual understanding benefited them. Besides, weren’t you getting tired of hearing the latest way a lonely child tried to kill herself?”

A pregnant pause is the only expression of contrition Tobirama will allow himself. Eventually, he replies, “I admit that Danzo was out of line for revealing the identity of the jinchūriki to the public, but the danger of letting Madara influence her—”

Hashirama sighs, “First, Naruto is the one doing the influencing if Madara is outside his house. Secondly, you spent years personally ensuring Madara couldn’t desert the village with Naruto. Now, he doesn’t even seem like he wants to leave. So, I don’t see a problem.” A grin stretches across his face as he teases, “Are you anxious that she’ll become Hokage before you?”

Frustrated, Tobirama tries to get them back on topic, “Anija, be serious—”

“I’d be scared, too. Naruto is very charismatic. She’d have to be to get through to Madara. Not to mention any political training he might have given her.”

Tobirama snorts, “Madara has never cared about politics, only control. Besides, a jinchūriki cannot become Hokage—”

Hashirama playfully argues, “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Anyway, is it time for lunch yet? I’m starving!”

“We’re in the middle of a conversation!”

Hashirama stands from his chair and stretches. “We can talk while we eat,” he ignores Tobirama’s protests as he herds his brother back out the door, “ Come on, come on! I’ve heard great things about Ichiraku’s!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anija: (yet another Japanese term for) older brother


	8. The Gift that Keeps on Giving (Extra)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little extra that didn't quite fit into the final chapter.

Naruto has graced Madara with many gifts. Some on purpose and others unintentional. Oftentimes, the unintentional gifts are just as good as the purposeful ones. Madara doesn’t bother to hide the grin splitting his face. “Pardon?”

Fugaku’s eyes narrow, but he repeats, “I said, we would appreciate it if you sat in on the next clan meeting.”

Feigning ignorance, Madara asks, “Whatever for?”

Fugaku’s eye twitches. “We would like you to pass on the contents of the meeting to your wife—”

Only another Uchiha would sit in Madara’s sitting room and subtly order him to do menial tasks. “Me? A messenger?”

“We would rather she attend the meeting herself,” Fugaku grits out the truth before he can think better of it. How careless.

Of course, the Uchiha want her to attend clan meetings. They want the other clans to know how high their political ties reach. He keeps up the act with an aghast tone, “You would presume to tell the Hokage how to divide her time? How bold!”

A muscle in Fugaku’s cheek jumps as he asks, “You’re both members of the Uchiha clan, are you not?”

Madara retorts, “The Uchiha clan falls under the jurisdiction of the Hokage, does it not?”

“...what do you want?”

Ah, there it is. Madara’s saccharine smile grows sharper. “Hm?”

“What will it take for you to cooperate?”

“How does final say on all clan matters sound?”

Madara already has that as the unofficial second-in-command of the village, but hearing Fugaku begrudgingly accept it makes his day. “Done.”

“Wonderful. You may take your leave,” Madara dismisses him with a wave. 

The blatant disrespect insults Fugaku, but he should have expected that Madara wouldn’t take kindly to a usurper. The rigidity of his back betrays his fury, but the door slides quietly shut as Fugaku retreats.

Now then, how to repay Naruto for this wonderful present? Perhaps, he’ll let her put their son in that damn frog onesie she impulse bought? Uchiha Madara’s first-born son deserves better than that monstrosity, but he supposes that the injustice is worth how happy it would make Naruto.


End file.
